The Sun. — London, England, 1818-09-26 00:00:00

NORWICH UNION sOCIETY. Yesterday a Meeting of Insurers took place at the London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, fur the purpose of receiving the Report of the London C o mmittee, appointed on the 27th of July last, at the York Hotel, Bridge-street, for the spe cial purpose of investigating the late charges made against the Norwich Union Fire and Life Office. No insurers were admitted but such as brought with them their receipt, tor the current dear. The Nleeting was very 11111HerOH5 and high iy respectable. THostas Berrstev, Esq. ,being called to the Chair, Mr. Alderman JOHN PATTESON, of Norwich, moved, that the Report of the Committee he read. The motion was seconded by Mr. PARDAC ; and the Secretary of the Committee, Mr. F. A. CLARKR, then proceeded in read the Report. It was very voluminous, and detailed the manner in which the Loudon Committee was appointed ; the vations complaints laid before them; the natore of the claims made, and the mode in which they were a di,,sr e d ; the rise and progress of the Insti tution ; their profits for 21 years, since the fi's , e.tah iii ate tt ; the amount of funds, and their mode of io vestment ; the reasons for naming cer tain Noblemen as Trustees, thou;01 not actually invested with any trust. The Committee ad mitted that the title tat l'atrous, with respect to those Nohlionen, would he more appropriate, hut stated at the saute time, that their names were not used without their approbation, and that many persons of the highest respectability, men tioned as Trustees, were so to all intents and pur• poses. The Report went on to state, that the Committee were unanimous in their opinion as to the general merits of the Institution, and the principles upon which it was founded, but stated that there were defects in the deeds of settlement, and improprieties in the system of management, which required remedy. The Committee bestow ed the highest praises upon the frankness, the honour, the zeal, and activity of Mr. Bignold, jun. and his brother, the Solicitor to the Institu tion.. They expressed at the same time some disapprobation of the conduct of Mr. Bignold, senior, and gave it as their opinion, that it would be for the interest of the Norwich Union Fire nd Life Insurance if he retired from the situa tion of Secretary. The Report, which was in the highest degree satisfactory, with respect both to the fire and life insurance departments, was received with great applause. It immediately removed all those anxious doubts whicii seemed for some time to press upon the minds of those who were not ac quainted with the affairs of the concern. There was an Appendix to the Report, con sisting of about 150 letters from various local Committees. Ihe reading of the was not pressed, as the wor• thy Chairman pledged himself that they were all favourable, and that the whole should be imme diately printed for ti , e use of insurers. All the letters, he said, were unanitroms in expressing their approbation of the principles and manage= ment of the Direcors, who gave dissatisfaction to none of the local Committees. The Report being read, Alderman PATTEsoN, of Norwich, moved, the the Report be received, adopted, and printed, with the Appendix, for the use of Subscribers,. Mr. Alderman THORP rose to second the mo tion. In doing this, he could assure the Meeting that he felt the greatest satisfaction in bearing testimony to the industry, the zeal, and the great pains which must have been employed in pro ducing so minute and so voluminous a Report. — He was happy to have this opportunity of testi fying his feelings upon the occasion, because 'it was said that the Committee appointed at the George and Vulture, to which he belonged, Was hostile to the present. It was a pleasure to him now to perceive, that they both had but one ob ject, namely, to see if any evils really existed ; and if so, to devise some remedy for their removal. The Report was, in particular, highly gratifying with respect to the funds of the Institution, anti every Gentletnau present must return home fully satisfied that there was sufficient to meet every demand that could arise. The part lie had taken in this business trout the commencement should Lot be considered as arising from a connexion with any other Insurance Office. He denied mast distinctly any co-operation, any connexion or even conversation with another office upon the subject. What be had done arose merely from this circumstance, that lie had heard some slur was thrown on the Norwich Insurance, by claims remaining unsettled. Upon further inquiry it appeared to him, as well as others, that there were sixteen or seventeen cases which required in vestigation. This was all he or the persons with whom he acted had recommended. Inquiry could do no itijury to any office. In disclaiming a con nexion with other Insurance establishments, he hoped they ironic! judge him front what had been done. He, merely expressed his opinion that there Was ground for investigation ; that there were some cases unsettled, and in a state of litigation. In these assertions he was borne out by the pre sent Report. The cases, however, were so promptly and honourably attended to, they were so liberally and speedily adjusted, as to nterit the highest thanks of every liberal mind.—(Applause.) In the Report of the Committee, where he had the honour to preside, it was merely said that er rors existed'in the administration of the concern. It was not asserted that they were insolvent. He was glad that they made out sonic motives for in quiry, and that such inquiry took place, because it must prove beneficial to the institution. It would not be necessary any longer to uphold it by quackery, and by holding out promises which could,not be realized. The real state of the con cern, as it appeared upon - the Report, rendered such proceedings superfluous. There was no oc casion to hold out expectations of 501. per cent. profit, which never was realized. The Report itself admitted, that the profit was not more than 301. per cent. ; a considerable one, it was true, and such as must give the fullest satisfaction to every pet son concerned. The object of the Gen tlemen with whom he acted was only the interest of the ; and certain he was, that there I.vir, not a single man among them who would not lae ..lad to find that it was in so flourishing a si- ittatiom 11e troul►l not lay the Meeting 'fancy, but conclude by seconding the Resolution. Mr. BARR! rose to propose an amendment. He WEIS AS fully convinced as any person present of the importance cr. tie Report, and of the great labour and ind ustry which were necessary to pro duce such a document. There was not, perhaps,. in all the annals of Insurance, Reports so volumi nous, and so minute a one as this. Those who drew it up deserved the highest credit. At the same time that he admitted this, he must com plain of the manner in which one individual had been treated. In every other part of it he fully agreed, except the sweeping clause at the end which callrd upon Mr Bignold, sen. to resign. Theme was no ground stated by the Con►naitte tor this. He was condemned withour•a hearing. Ile was never confronted with the accusers before his judges. t Here, at the desire of one of the Insurers, that part of the Report was read again, in which it was stated, that Mr. Bignold, sen. refused to transfer certain securities unless the Directors should think it for the interest of the concern.] Mr. BA it rot proceeded. The Report did not say that Mr. Bignold had been heard before the Committee. If such was the case, he (Mr. B.) would be silent. It was the highest and proudest privilege conferred upon an Englishman by the law, that no individual should be condemned Un heard. The witnesses in his favour, as well as they who accused, most he first examined. The Committee did not venture to assert, that they had examined even one.—(Some disapprobation.) Clamour could not gainsay reason and argument ; however, as they did not seem inclined to hear him, he would not waste the time of so respect able a Meeting. It should be rematked, how ever, that the Society, so beneficial to the Public, Was founded, and for many years conducted, by Mr. Bignold. Their own Report was the highest encomium that could be passed upon him, for it. sheaved the flourishing state to which he brought the Institution. This observation would, he hoped, have its doe weight with liberal minds. Mr. Bignold was willing to be examined by the Committee, and to produce witnesses as to Iris conduct while Secretary. What objection could there he to this ? It was no trifling matter to rob a tnan, not only of his bread, bust of his re putation. It was but a cold consolation to have his sons praised by the same persons who pro nounced condemnation upon the father ; to kave his character wounded. by the same breath that lavisiedcommendationS upon them. The amend ment therefore lie should propose was this, that that part of the Report which respected Mr. Big nold, senior, should be left out, and referred to the Committee, for the put pose of giving him an op portunity of being heard before his accusers. The amendment being seconded, Mr. BROOKE, one of the London Committee, said, that he, as a Member of that Committee, agreed to the recommendation contained in the Report, that Mr. Bignold should resign. Nothing, however, should prevail upon him to detail the cir cumstances •which 'minced them to come to that decision. They had no charge to make against the zeal or the honesty of Mr. Bignold, but it was to he lameuted that his zeal was not always guided by prudence. The circumstance of the 'Committee being obliged, in sO many i n stances, to act-in a manner contrary to that adopted by Mr. Bignold was . sufficient grOuni, if there was no other, to Wish for his retiring. Before the Meet ing took place he was requested to resign.— Had lie done so it would have saved trouble, and given them an opportunity of saying, Nil de ntorluis nisi bonum. The other Members of Mr. Bignold's family were benefici-'l and efficient Mem bers of the Institution, but as to himself it was high time, as Well froin age as from other circumstances, that be should withdraw front the labours of his place. He would not mention the other circion stancea. He hoped, however, that the Meeting I would give the Committee credit for their exer tions. There was no fault to be found, with his hiniesty'or zeal. He was the founder and organiser of the Institution, the person who proposed the plan upon which it was conducted. They merely accused him of mismanageMent, no more. sen. said, that it must be highly painful to him to have such a report as this go forth to the w'orld,requiring his retirement, as if he had acted dishonestly, or been guilty of some criminal action. He merely requested that the Meeting would not prOnounce this sentence of condetnna iion upon him, unless some specific charge was made out to ground it upon. If his conduct was fairly investigated, he trusted it would nut he found deierving of public disapprobation. %Viten the meet ing was convened, at the George and Vidture, the claims which occasioned it'were under investigation by bim4elf and three more, and some of them were. actually paid off at Norwich, and their a 6, knowledgments received. They who now ac cused him, he naturally expected would be his friends. They were called in to ascertain whe• Cher he was justifiable in what he had done, and in that respect he did not think he could be cen sored. His business was to inquire into the cir cumstances-of the case when any claim was made. In this respect he was always diligent, and they who called the Meeting at the George and Vul ture *ere 'Very probably such as would blame him for his diligence. Two years ago, when he orst came to London, there were few insurers in the Norwich. The Directors wished'him to come there, as he had 30 years experience in such busi ness, and he was desirous to appoint a local Com mittee for the settlement of claims, but waited until the names upon the books were more nu merous. For this reason the business was in sotne measure left to himself. He acted front the hest of his judgment, and if any thing criminal Could be proved against him, be would be then Willing to resign', and to stand on tke Report stigmatized to the world. After the vast number of fires which occurred, being upwards 6,1'700 since his arrival in London, it was not surprising that some persons complained, particularly. when the whole kingdom was ransacked for complaints by the George and Vulture Gentlemen. It would be ingratitude ; it would be returning evil for good, to condemn him now unheard, after all his services. His name was lately hand ed about 'the kingdom, and when these reports, tinfavourable to hint, were traced, it turned out that they originated with the ageuta of other nfrices, to whom nOtbing would bt more phasing than to deprive the [lntake of his services. He ' had, at present, if allowed to continue his exer tions„ a plait in contemplation that would render the metropolis mulch more secure from fire. There was no reason for thrusting him out of his post, but because he was too zealous in his duty. There was no crime in making strict inquiry wh'ende minds were made upon the Office. It was fof - the advantage of the Society that he exerted himself, hut he used no undue or unfair diligence. Out of all the cases complained of, there were only six or seven before him, and they were referred to the Directors. if s want of ability or diligence was proved, then would be the time to call upon him to retire, but no accusation of any kind was proved. All he required was, that they would not condemn too hastily, but wait until better evidence was produced. After a few words from Mr. ALDIs and Mr. Flutmz, the amendment was negatived, and the original motion carried unatihnowly. Mr. Alderman Parrosost, of Norwich, then read four Resolutions, which will be found in our fist page. The Resolutions being put from the Chair, Mr. Bcooxe said, there were, some improprie ties in the management of. the concern, and also some clauses in the deeds of settlement which re+ quire(' correction. This could not he effected without a General Meeting. He should therefore propose, as an amendment to the third Resolu tion, that measures be taken for securing such a Meeting within a month of the present time, with power to dismiss officers, &c. etc. Mr. KEMBLE said, that no Member of the Com mittee had paid more attention to the deeds of settlement than his lion. Friend (Mr. B.) ; but as the difference between his amyndment and the ori ginal motion was so trifling, it could not be im portant whether it was carried or not. The amendment appeared to him to go too tar, namely, to the establishment of a Supreme Court of Direction. This was not called for at present, nor did it imply a sufficient degree of comtesy to the Directors. They, he had no doubt, would be willing to co-operate in it ; but it should not be done with Out consulting them. If the original motiou was adopted, he should move that Mr, Al derman Thorp be added to the Committee. A paper was handed, about the room, intimating that the two Committees should be united. To this, he (Mr. K.) could not agree. From the great contradiction existing between these reports, no cordiality could he expected in their car-opertviou. He hoped that Mr. Alderman Thorp would have had the candour to acknowledge that the Com mittee/in which he presided,, were deceived by the reports they.receivel from the country, At the last meeting at the George and Vulture, be (Mr. K.) requested some further . delay before the re port was received, but the proposal. was not agreed to. Pe thought, upon that occasion, that he ob served a power behind the Chair greater than the Chair itself, and that the Worthy Alderman seemed to look up too much to this authority. Finding that he was misled, he regretted that the NVorthy Alderman did not make some allusion to the sources from which his -mistake arose. Mr. Kemble then alluded to the manner in which the George and Vulture Commit tee was constituted, and concluded, a speech of much point and hu mour, by expressing a wish that Mr. Brooke should not press his amendment. Mr. Akerman TH ,, RP deprecated all petty dis= pines and allusions to former proceedings. The Worthy Alderman being then appointed to the Committee, the Resolutions were agreed to; and thanks being voted to the London Commit tee, its Secretary and Chairman, as also to the Chairman of the Meeting, and the Norwich Di rectors, the assembly broke tip.—The Resolutions Were ordered to he printed. OLD BAILEY. AN INTERES'T'ING CASE. Yesterday Thomas Judd, aged 27, was put to the Bar, charged with stealing three 11. notes, the property of Charles Bioadgate. The particulars were fully detailed in the Police Reports at the time, and the facts are shortly these, though the case was very amusing :—The prosecutor and pri soner happened to meet in the Bull's Head pub lic-house, in the lower end of Westniinster, near some of the obscure streets in the vicinity of the Abbey. Meeting there, though formerly strangers to each other, some dispute arose respecting some points ot military service, the one contending he was a gallant servant of the public, while the other maintained be had seen more valour in one year than the other had in the whole course of his life. The prosecutor was not quite sober at the time, but he was perfectly aware of what be was doing. In stooping down to lift up a pipe he had dropt, the three 11. notes dropt out ot his pocket, and they were in a moment or two after seized by the prisoner, who immediately left the room. The notes were seen in his hands by a person sitting in the, box, but who unfortunately did not detain him, not knowing he had stolen them. The prisoner had not lclt the house one minute, till the prosecutor cried out, '' Oh, my God, lam robbed." Suspicion fell on the pri soner, his lodgings were traced out, but he was not found for some days. There was no doubt but the prisoner had stolen them, and though was fortunately apprehended, yet none of the notes were found on hitn. He for some days could not be found, and denied all knowl . edge•of the robbery when lie was apprehended. The RECORDER-Prisoner, you have heard all this evidence; what have you got to say for yourself ? Prisoner-1 am totally innocent, my Lord, and k,can call witnesses to prove that I am so. Recorder—Aye, it may be so—call tht•tn. The first witness was called, who stated he ha►l been in a public-house several times with the pri soner, but he knew nothing of the transaction. — He was in the room at the time, but did not see it. Recorder—Well, my friend, it is a very odi thing to call you here as a witness to a thing von know nothing about. Go about your busi- ness. - Another person was ehlleci, and stated he had known the prisoner for 10 or 12 years, and his character was always good. itecorder—Exactly so, as 1 liope yours and Mine are. Well, you of Course must Ettlow 110 w long have you known him 3 . Witness—For 10 or 12 years. R • A t* ecnrder—T o ur hen of cose you cvere ; n° with him. I know it is a common word 0° 1 ; the lower 'classes 'of society (at. least , the fin:c of thieves) to say they have got in to troubij, when, in fact, they have been taken into cust°( this Now, my good friend, did you ever hear of fellow being in the same situation ?, NVitness—Not to my knowledge, , •u n; is no answer to my questl:4; I ask you, Sir, did you ever hear of thi s f en° - being in trouble ?. Witness-. 4 never knew It. Itecorder—That answer w o n't do for me. . ask .you, Sir., and I must but be trifled with, 'lll you ever know this man in custody for a critniao, charge. Witness—lSTot that T kilo*. Recorder-4)o you say so upon your oalb Witness—Yes ; I do any Lord. sot It..:corder—Well, go along ; but stop, I'l ; to ask you, how long is it since you baye .46,) seen trim ? Witness-=Why s not for the last two y ears, 114 I live about two miles from Jiis house. - .„ t ; llecorder- , -Aye, now we come i‘o the 1 10 %-, This is a fine fellow eto steak t 4) eh ter, who has not known the prisoner for $11,5 l'st two or three years. aro The Jury found him Guilty. or , RECORDER—Gentlemen, von have (lone ; .• •• duty. • ' kris fellow - was here' before, and , lieve, you will find the same from the Pecl`lo belonging to the Court. Pray, Mr. (lardy , can tell me how long it is since this fellow wasii trrisoo before, and how lon e ; it is since he ''''ll)t tried before ? h Mr. Elardy—My Lord, he was in prison B'l,, twelve months ago, on a charge of highway bevy. The Recorder—l thought so. p a lee Gillmore (an Officer of Queen-square 1", 1 ji) Office) happened to be in Court, and said,'"') 1' my Lord, I know him well ; he is the worst 44 racier in Westminster. 0 01, Recorder —l thought sn 3 stand tip, Gi n ",: ; ef you can speak to facts. Well, what do yoti P'*° of him 1 diis l Gillmore—i-Why, my Lord, all I can say ' s ) that the prisoner is a most notorious ch" 1.6.,(; and I can assure your‘Lordship that there is: 00 greater miscreant in Westminster. My id° cus has been long known to its all. Recorder—Well, Mr. Gillmore, you he Vie s ; il ie very right to do as you have done, and this 10 ,4 confirms to the Jury what I said before. Th e le s' looks well, so be may at the expence o f ofb e - r a 'o4 Gillmore, the public are much obliged t° * You have, I suppose, known hint long ? $C Mr. Gilmore —Why, my Lord, we Z 13 1 ", jlif the Queen's-square Office, known him 1 0 0;,'ctec' my Lord, he is a most ' ahlmninable char net )very person in that district knows the pris°.dti ReCorder—Gentlemen, you' see 1 vv" s 0 1 '( Mr. Gilmore, the officer, .know& him. x° till rest assured that, as honest men,you ha v i e r 0 4 7 ' your duty. Take him from the bar, and rest assured we shall not forget his condit'P4 . we conic to give him his roper- punislitue°l:/s°l shall not trouble, I assure you, this CO"i"oel° more. I know all these fellows when thiy cf. 0411 this bar. The ptisoner is a fine lookiag l'end but fine looking will trot be a strong r a il any mercy to a prisoner; the Cour t 51 care of the prisoner for life. 3. EMBEZZLEMENT. 1 65 ' Inn. Swath was inch( ted for emnezzling the property of his employer, Mr. Foo t ; brc°ll' The prosecutor stared, "that he was rt 0- , d and had 'employed the prisoner as' a ea vi confidential servant. The sum c harge l ior DO! m inilictent was the amount of a bill d ue ice(' i ! ' 4 , by a Mr. Sidney. • The prisoner had rece ot V a and' afterwards said that Mr. Sidney bad n o p the bill. r n ee, The prisoner said nothing in his do e I .414 the Jury found a verdict—Guilty. It appeared, after the verdict V/35 pr°lllsll:ififfc, that there were no less than 47 eha r g h e , s , r ael e , l l the prisoner of a similar nature to tr i ` b l„sio c i i ; The prosecutor only carried on a snw .i ' it ii4 and had very seriously suffered by enc l. irisoner. • CRUELTY joi r' lligi.slll.7l ' Hughes, a d " 'ler 114 cruellye(sbi:e,mriveiSmithfield, eta‘ltltl. beatingroT,---.------sFitterGdailyil, Brewery that a s he stirs passiouo 0.4 be r a; with him iiiie fl i ruolwrteleptslot restrained a ro itt i til n eed i c t t:ecitiikieet::c,o,fmabssatelsnelreivce_eeOd,pn iti:ev)ech:,eci:b:hi:iitilliaiittil:etivcilictieie,oo,:eoliottle, dr I , select One froill th`li-e 01 which appeared a little unrnansge",o;lls blood it with a large stick on the be o d m . til li d however,_ t ‘ tr I ,l • ) e ls i r ti Le e l e l io y t : hl f 'reteeelopli:lrliossahebigattaiiiilsi:liicteilrttlillailgictltselel:areolii'lintilfile(sTClSilleitcli)yrEl(iele)iits(l:ll)llStinflalsVeeelv:3:titileijiCill's:e):4llll::"C;eberifeArti:le IbiltolilinreiClveigil°Crettitilariol°ll4:ll::liiii:lll/4:1;111: fine when spoken to, ordered the'deftrulatit 1 - e ' tOf • ...mi.-. ...,.--- ______ , s o. On N2n la tl i i i t t . . 0 1 7 1, 0 . 0 1 fitiltsts.wattall)wit,chlirlirry. l' a. r________ t___, k, the La'''. at w 0, BIRTH . . ' - • ii of t hr th O or r: i. t t h ), e m 2 s d e, of April lastr,l.:ra‘titritultFt'yD-6110r9 n'e'n:o3ll':f t e h ' -e:11: 1 1:10 Roger Swetenharn, Esq. (>1 Soinerford-I)ot,h'A !LI Plf f il • of Chester, to Agnes, eldest daughter oft 6 1 ", r %/ o ',. l ipCe -•.:. r els Esq. Collector and Mint Nlaster of the ..501/9 'o f Ghur. ,rhop• i v r e 7 F ! s ( l , :h . " r:e i l k e i l i c :) , ( l ,3 l) t t i ) :: l , l . ( l g ) en f i l : ) , : B Y t r a o S i t : A i ' s 'lt l . i i > t i a g ' Ileil'iiiii:ll:'•;teti3iiii) t'ii:sii.l,ll:t.oetislal:ruacuslutaint(liers.':l")lllll:l:::::tll Esq. of Hall ine. 0 C' u 1 1 • MED . , 0 „ i cy, On the 18th instant, at West,ruoi., '''' eAff maker, F,sq. in the 7911, year of bil ag. at' f lo .ici i , i ' r e' On the 25th inst. .ai Kennington, in V T o f V4illo c :O ls Nash, relict of the late William Nh> I:,s:l;3otspail On Saturday last, at Hoildesdon, Ups .:'of ilie liet of Gilbert Douglas Hillock, Es+ 131 e , Vincent, aged 79. q 6 ( 1 i' . ---- • , ;0 . l' ' ° 'e l' —-- - ---- -- , ,„,, pt • a v o „ LONDON: Ptinted by.). B. cpotsT ‘ll`-:iiiisllet TtiojiW Ornsond-street, Cineen.square; :'''' l PL-eeto 3 et ' [. S o CItIPIPS, of No. 7, South Moltitl'lli4ealel --r-cei No. 112, Strand ; where ,-0 ": d ' _,,, oe $ Letters, Lie, (post-paid) must 10 3"- , 'la. . .q t te, ll It Cl,l :h at i sohd for , Clet e 4V of zl ie ult e ..-, a ;; ~ ~'ar t~,,. c r i ti the